Beam - The first snack the whole world can eat

Update

The outlook is sunny for Beam - a delicious new healthy snack bar, launching into a total market worth around $3.55 billion in the UK and $105.9 billion globally in 2022. Beam solves the enduring problem of making healthy snacks as tasty as their indulgent counterparts with a crucial twist: Beam is also free from the top 14 allergens. The first snack the whole world can eat.

Healthy snacks are set to grow at 6.6% compound growth globally compared to all snacks at just 1.17% - showing the better-for-you trend has no signs of slowing down. Beam champions a bright future for a new generation, eating more consciously in ways that add positive energy in all senses.

Beam has spent several hard years developing its product, perfecting formulations, nutritional value and above all, taste. Beam has an indulgent edge that’s fun and nourishing. Here we look quickly at the market dynamics that the Beam brand responds to, developed with nuanced precision from a blank sheet of paper by And Rising, working closely with the product’s innovators and Founders, Shauna and James Blair.

Snacking is in the middle of a revolution

The pandemic turned snacking upside down and back again. Impulse and on-the-go eating stopped entirely as people were forced to stay at home, but has grown back sharply as we enjoy being busy on the move once again. Lockdowns also led to bifurcated snacking habits. Some of us had the time and space to explore healthier ways of eating, whilst others turned to treats more often for comfort, to combat boredom, and as a moment of pleasure in an otherwise uncertain world. As a result, consumer behaviour has undergone a total reset, never to return to its pre-pandemic state.

Healthy snacking that’s delicious is still the number one need

Today, crisps and chocolate still remain the snacking staples. Despite the marketing veneer of ‘health without compromise’, the snacking category is dominated by processed foods that are high in sugar and low in vital nutrients. Convenience, not health, triumphs: regulation has become not only desired but necessary. In 2021, the government confirmed its “wake-up” call to the industry, addressing the 63% of adults and one in every three 11-year-olds who are “overweight”. Restrictions include curbing ‘buy one get one’ promotions, a TV and online advertising watershed, and removal of products from the checkout impulse aisles. The government recently chose to delay some of these measures due to rising inflation showing how over-dependent hard-working families are on such foods and how powerful their manufacturers’ influence is. But these delays are temporary and will begin in earnest as soon as October 2022. The risk of Type 2 Diabetes has doubled over the past 15 years - putting pressure on the NHS, and the need for change is urgent.

Allergens are also the focus of regulatory change

In 2016, Natasha Ednan-Laperouse tragically died after eating a baguette from Pret A Manger simply because it contained sesame seeds - a needless loss. She was just 15 years old. This has led to a major re-think in how we deal with allergens in food. Natasha’s Law came into effect in October 2021, requiring all food businesses to provide full ingredient labelling. Allergens are now the most important consideration in food production, but few brands prioritise allergen safety for consumers beyond labels. Allergies are on the rise, increasing significantly over the past few decades - some even say we’re in the midst of an allergy epidemic. The Food Standards Authority estimates around 2 million people are living with food allergies in the UK alone - hospital admissions have increased threefold over the past 20 years. There are no cures for allergies; sufferers must be careful at every turn.

A full-of, not free-from, brand

Most healthy snack brands are a minefield for people with severe allergies - nuts are one of the biggest sources of protein in snack bars, and millions of people suffer from allergies to peanuts and tree nuts. So for many, healthy snacks have always been a source of fear - it’s about time this changed. Beam is always free from Gluten, Milk (dairy), Peanut, Tree Nut, Egg, Soy, Fish, Celery, Crustaceans, Lupin, Molluscs, Mustard, Sesame, and Sulphites.

Made from sunflower seeds, Beam is packed full of sunshine and seed power. Coming in a range of indulgent flavours - blueberry and lemon, cranberry and strawberry, pineapple, and mint chocolate - Beam is a healthy alternative to boring snacks. A tasty treat that rewards your body and taste buds. A natural source of protein and energy. A brand that turns the daunting allergen asterisk into a beaming sunshine for everyone.

Taste buds, body and soul

As part of a healthier approach to eating, a new generation of snackers is looking for more nutrition, sustained energy and, of course, taste. For years, healthy eating has focussed on ensuring we consume the right balance of nutrients to keep our bodies functioning properly. Now, snacks are an experience to be savoured and enjoyed, not just wolfed down on the go. Increasingly, we’re recognising that the way we eat is about more than just maintaining our health – it’s also about achieving a sense of balance and wellbeing. When we are attuned to our bodies, we can tune into what they are really needing – not just in terms of nutrients but also in terms of how we feel mentally and emotionally. For too long, healthy foods have been bland, permissive and beige, but Beam does not want clean snacking to mean restraint and abstinence. Beam is a product that champions all that’s healthy, bright, colourful and positively delicious.

Brand design using Sunflower Power

Founders Shauna and James’ son has severe allergies, which means he has never been able to eat healthy snacks safely. Upon trying the first Beam prototype, he couldn’t stop smiling. Finally, a nutritious snack that he genuinely enjoyed the taste of whilst feeling safe. He was beaming ear to ear: leading to the brand’s name.

Beam’s mission, strategy and identity are all inspired by sunshine: one of the most powerful forces in our lives. It is the source of all life and has a profound impact on our moods, energy levels, and overall health. Sunshine is also a powerful symbol. It is the emblem of hope and happiness. There's something about sunshine that just makes us feel good. Whether it's the warm rays on our skin or the knowledge that the day will be a good one, sunshine has an undeniably positive effect on our lives. We talk about sunshine days and sunshine moments. Sunshine is also an icon in popular culture, often appearing in art, music, and literature as a symbol of all that is good in the world. It's no wonder that we are drawn to sunshine; as a concept, sunshine represents hope, new beginnings, and the possibility of a better (snacking) future. Discover more on our project page.

Building a brand that’s digitally and physically native

In recent years, brands have been increasingly divided into two camps: traditional, boring brands that are stuck in the retail world and new DTC brands professing to be the future (but often without the unit economics to back it up). The former is obsessed with one thing and one thing only: will it stand out on the shelf? The others focus maniacally on designing for 2.0 Instagram, where the algorithm forces every brand to look exactly the same. Beam was an opportunity to break these patterns and take advantage of a whole-market approach.

The acceleration of the past two years has meant that brands can find new ways to combine and integrate both virtual and physical worlds. From the start, Beam set its sights on the bigger tasks of unlocking a distinctive, authentic voice and glueing it together thoughtfully across different customer experiences.

No chance of rain in our forecast right now

Snacking is an important part of our daily routine. It gives us a chance to refuel and recharge throughout the day. But as our tastes and attitudes towards food continue to change, so too must the way we think about snacking. Gone are the days when unhealthy and processed snacks ruled the shelves.

Meanwhile, the future is looking bright for those brands that embrace both the regulatory and consumer attitude shifts and prove themselves worthy of the new demands they face, reap the rewards in market share and loyalty. We're seeing a future where health, taste, and brand excitement can all come together: we can't wait to see where Beam takes it next.